![#FlashbackFriday - THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT. [Vintage Video Clips]](https://i0.wp.com/www.back2stonewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Forgotten-gay-folm.png?resize=475%2C234)
Ryan James Yezak has released another spectacularly edited montage of vintage news clips that weaves the narrative of the federal ban on blood donation by gay men into a larger picture of the LGBT civil rights struggle.
It will shock you. It will make you cry and it will make you angry. And hopefully, it will make you FIGHT because in reality it’s not that much different today.
Earlier this year, the Temecula Valley Unified School District rejected textbooks and curriculum materials for an elementary school program because it included references to slain gay-rights activist Harvey Milk. The school board president even referred to the LGBTQ icon as a “pedophile,” drawing outrage from Newsom and other leaders across the state as well as protests from teachers in the district.
“CA is stepping in,” Newsom declared on Thursday. “We’re going to purchase the book for these students – the same one that hundreds of thousands of kids are already using. If these extremist school board members won’t do their job, we will – and fine them for their incompetence.”
“If the school board won’t do its job by its next board meeting to ensure kids start the school year with basic materials, the state will deliver the book into the hands of children and their parents – and we’ll send the district the bill and fine them for violating state law.”
ABC
About time. Other Democrats can learn from him what it’s like to have a goddam backbone.
And remember: Reading is fundamental.
A school board in Temecula decided to reject a textbook because it mentioned Harvey Milk.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 13, 2023
CA is stepping in.
We’re going to purchase the book for these students—the same one that hundreds of thousands of kids are already using.
If these extremist school board members won’t do… pic.twitter.com/r2iirL8b5v
Vicky Barlow was poking around the rock pools of Falmouth, England when she found the rainbow sea slug, usually found in warmer waters.
According to experts there have been only three previous sightings of the creature in the UK and this was the first in a rockpool.
The rare rainbow sea slug, also known as the chromodoris lochi, is a colorful marine gastropod mollusk that can be found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, primarily off the coast of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. It is a type of nudibranch, which are shell-less marine snails that are known for their bright colors and intricate patterns.
The rainbow sea slug is known for its striking coloration, which includes a bright blue body with orange and yellow spots and lines, as well as a distinctive purple or pink rim around its body. These colors are not only beautiful to look at, but they also serve as a warning to potential predators that the sea slug is toxic and should be avoided.
The rainbow sea slug feeds on sponges, which contain toxins that the slug incorporates into its own body for defense. This toxic defense mechanism is what makes the rainbow sea slug one of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures in the ocean.
Despite their striking appearance and toxic defense, the rainbow sea slug is not considered a threat to humans. In fact, they are highly prized by underwater photographers and diving enthusiasts for their vibrant colors and unique beauty.
Happy PRIDE Rainbow Sea Slug.
Giovanni di Giovanni (1350 – 1365) is one of the youngest victims of the campaign against homosexuality waged in 14th-century Florence., Italy.
Giovanni’s persecution came on the heels of the Black Death, the bubonic plague epidemic which had ravaged the city two years earlier. Some of the most influential people of the religious establishment, such as Bernardino of Siena, blamed sodomites for having brought the wrath of God down on the heads of the populace. The “remedy” they promoted was to purify the city of evil by means of fire, leading to burnings at the stake and other punishments (red-hot iron) such as that suffered by poor young boy.
Di Giovanni was labeled “a public and notorious passive sodomite” and convicted by the Podestà court of being the passive partner of a number of different men. His punishment was to be paraded on the back of an ass, then to be publicly castrated. Finally, he was to have his anus burned with a red-hot iron (or, as the sentence read: “[punished] in that part of the body where he allowed himself to be known in sodomitical practice”)
He did not survive the ordeal.
So as you can see extremist Christians have blamed the misfortune and disasters that fell upon them on homosexuals for centuries and we have been persecuted and murdered us because of their hatred and bigotry.
And some still do till this very day.
On New Year’s Day in 1967, undercover officers arrested 14 patrons of the Black Cat Tavern, one of a number of gay bars that lined Sunset Boulevard at the time. The bar attracted a largely working class clientele and was nestled among a number of businesses friendly to gay men and lesbians.
According to Tangents – a local gay newspaper – “The Black Cat was happy and hooping” before undercover police arrived and started beating patrons as they were ringing in the New Year: “There were colored balloons covering the ceiling … and three glittering Christmas trees” Moments later, “all hell broke loose.”
That night the Black Cat was packed, the barroom strung with Christmas lights. A trio called the Rhythm Queens was performing, and when the costume contest concluded at New Faces
As the clock stuck midnight balloons tumbled from the ceiling. The Rhythm Queens belted out “Auld Lang Syne,” and for a moment there was time to grab a kiss. But not all the revelers were there for the same party. At five minutes after midnight, plainclothes policemen began swinging clubs and pool cues, dragging patrons out the door and into the street. They pulled the bartender over the bar, lacerating his face on broken glass. Two patrons ran across Sanborn and took cover in the crowd at New Faces, where Circus of Books now stands. Officers followed, breaking one bartender’s nose, leaving another with a ruptured spleen. Sixteen people were arrested that night—six of them charged with lewd conduct, also known as kissing.
Two of the men arrested for kissing were later convicted under California Penal Code Section 647 and registered as sex offenders. The men appealed, asserting their right of equal protection under the law, but the U.S. Supreme Court did not accept their case.
On February 11, 1967 hundreds of people; gays, lesbians, bisexuals, drag queens and straight allies gathered outside the Black Cat to protest police antagonism, harassment, and violence toward the city’s gay and lesbian community.
Witness accounts indicate the demonstration was peaceful, if not a little tense because of heavy police monitoring.
While the Stonewall Riots of 1969 is the milestone that we commemorate and remember to mark of our liberation. There are lesser remembered protests and pickets that happened before Stonewall that were just as important to our visibility and our fight for our rights that should always be remembered.
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Since 2008 Back2Stonewall has strived to educate the LGBT community about our history and noteworthy news stories. I have done so out of love, pocketing all expenses for all these years to avoid annoying potentially harmful ads. But due to the overwhelming medical bills I cannot continue on without your help. (And believe me I do hate to ask) As many of you know, and many don’t for the past 2 years I have been suffering with infections in first my left foot and then my right ankle which looks like it will have to be amputated in the near future. Medical bills, equipment, medications have wiped out my savings and retirement fund because I have been unable to work and disability retirement is extremely backed up because of COVID and quite simply I am out of funds to run the site or deal with my bills and mortgage.
If you can make a donation , any size to help keep Back2Stonewall and my life going it would be greatly appreciated and never forgotten.
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The Daily Beast reports: In the name of “curriculum transparency,” Florida’s Republican-controlled state government has appointed several anti-gay and anti-mask conspiracy theorists to take charge of a new effort at public schools: banning books. This hastily assembled censorship council—tasked with retraining public school librarians to abide by new restrictions—is the latest ploy in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crusade to upend the state’s education system. The council was also staffed under suspicious circumstances, with the state Education Department ignoring its own call for official candidates from local school districts and instead filling most of the slots with right-wing activists who have a history of proposing book bans. Michelle Beavers’ bona fides consist of right-wing activism. She leads the local chapter of Moms for Liberty, a MAGA contingent that has antagonized her school board for years.
The Biden administration proposed a dramatic overhaul of campus sexual assault rules on Thursday, acting to expand protections for LGBTQ students, bolster the rights of victims and widen colleges’ responsibilities in addressing sexual misconduct. The proposal, announced on the 50th anniversary of the Title IX women’s rights law, is intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The proposal is almost certain to be challenged by conservatives, and it is expected to lead to new legal battles over the rights of transgender students in schools, especially in sports.
Love ya Joe. But still waiting on the Equality Act in the first 100 days, It’s now 942 days before the END of your first term.
Just saying.
A homework assignment given to some middle-schoolers (7th. grade = 11/12 yo) at Christian Academy of Louisville, Kentucky has been exposed showing how it encourages students to persuade an “imaginary friend” to reject being gay. *cough*-GROOMING-*cough*
Via: The Courier Journal:
Screenshots show the assignment required students to write a letter to a hypothetical friend “struggling with homosexuality” and persuade them “God’s design for them is good,” “homosexuality will not bring them satisfaction” and “you love them even though you don’t approve of their lifestyle.” – Assume that you have known this friend since kindergarten, that you go to the same church and that you have been pretty good friends over the years until now,” the screenshot of the assignment read. “… The aim of your letter should be to lovingly and compassionately speak truth to the person you’re talking to in a way that does not approve of any sin. Instead, TRY TO PERSUADE THEM OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD’S DESIGN for them.”
Christian Academy of Louisville School System Superintendent Darin Long in a statement said the assignment had been given to students in a middle school Bible elective class.
The homework was “part of a unit of study which discusses ‘What are humans and where is their identity?'” Long wrote, and “in context, was how a person could discuss homosexuality with a friend from a biblical perspective with compassion and love.”
And Jesus wept. Again.
Modern day education assignment at Christian Academy of Louisville. Middle school. Write a letter to your homosexual friend explaining why it’s wrong. Shameful. #stopthehate pic.twitter.com/UdgXv3FEBA
— JP Davis (@kyjpdavis) May 13, 2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (DeathSantis) has voiced his support for a bill that would prohibit the discussion of sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the state’s primary schools.
DeSantis said it’s entirely inappropriate” for teachers to be having conversations with students about gender identity, citing instances of them telling children, “Don’t worry, don’t pick your gender yet,” and also “hiding” classroom lessons from parents.
““Schools need to be teaching kids to read, to write. They need to teach them science, history. We need more civics and understanding of the U.S. Constitution, what makes our country unique, all those basic stuff. The larger issue with all of this is parents must have a seat at the table when it comes to what’s going on in their schools,” he added.
The Biden administration sharply criticized Republicans in Florida on Tuesday for backing the measure.
“Every parent, as one myself too, hopes that our leaders will ensure their children’s safety, protection and freedom, and today conservative politicians in Florida rejected those basic values,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing Tuesday.
President Biden also weighed in shortly after the briefing, denouncing the legislation as “hateful.”
“I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are,” he tweeted.
I want every member of the LGBTQI+ community — especially the kids who will be impacted by this hateful bill — to know that you are loved and accepted just as you are. I have your back, and my Administration will continue to fight for the protections and safety you deserve. https://t.co/OcAIMeVpHL
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 8, 2022
A Florida bill that would limit classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity and encourage parents to sue schools or teachers that engage in these topics is speeding through the GOP controlled state House and Senate.
The aptly nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” bill by LGBT fear that if this bill is signed into law, it could act as a complete ban on the lessons on LGBT oppression, history and discussions about LGBT identities.
The two bills in the state legislature, HB 1557 and SB 1834, state that a school district “may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” It also adds that parents who catch a violation of this rule can sue, seeking damages and reimbursement for attorney fees and court costs.
Florida GOP House Rep. Joe Harding, who is the sponsor of the legislation, hopes it will “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding upbringing & control of their children,” according to the bill’s text.
The bill is particularly troubling in a state where there have been tragic hate crimes committed against those in the LGBT community, including the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando in which 49 people were killed and another 53 wounded.
2021 was a record-breaking year for anti-LGBTQ legislation. More than 250 of these bills were introduced and at least 17 were enacted into law. All of which introduced into GOP controlled states.
